Systems and methods for a common image data array file

ABSTRACT

Image data file systems and methods are operable to generate image data files for a plurality of images having a common image data array, and are operable to generate images from the image data files. An exemplary embodiment stores a common image data array into a master image data file, wherein the stored common image data array corresponds to an image data array of a first image of the plurality of images; and generates a soft link image data file based upon a second image of the plurality of images, wherein an image data array of the second image is the same as the common image data array, and wherein a soft link in the soft link image data file identifies a location of the stored common image data array.

BACKGROUND

Rendered, pixel-based image data files include a file header, a colorpalette, and an image data array. Such pixel-based images may berelatively large, and thus require a substantial portion of space in amemory medium. An exemplary image data file format could be constructedas:Image=[HEADER][PALETTE][IMAGE DATA ARRAY]

The file header of the pixel-based image includes various informationpertaining to the image, such as bitmap width in pixels (the number ofpixels in a row of pixels), bitmap height in pixels (the number ofpixels in a column of pixels), and number of bits used to define thecolor of a pixel. For example, if eight (8) bits are used to specify thecolor of a pixel, then there are a possible 256 different colors thatmay be used to define pixel color. Any suitable number of bits may beused to define the number of color choices for a pixel (for example, iftwelve bits are used, up to 4096 colors are available to define thecolor for a pixel).

A color palette is a pre-defined, ordered array of elements that definea color value. Each color value includes color information to define thedifferent colors that may be used to color a pixel. For example, thecolor information specifies a mixture of red, green, and blue colors,along with an intensity value and/or color depth value. The colorpalette location information defines the location of each array elementof the color palette. Accordingly, individual colors of the colorpalette are indexed by their location in the color palette, and thus areidentified by their unique color palette location value.

The image data array is a pre-defined, ordered array of elements thatdefine the image on a pixel-by-pixel basis. For any particular image,the location of a pixel can be identified by its relative location inthe image data array since there are n×m pixels in the image data array(where n is the number of pixels in a row of pixels and m is the numberof pixels in a column of pixels). Thus, the relative location of thepixel data in the image data array defines the location of the pixel inthe image.

The information in any particular array element of the image data arrayis one of the color palette location information values. Thus, eacharray element in the image data array points to a particular arrayelement in the color palette (which has the color information for aparticular color).

When the image is displayed and/or printed, each of the individualpixels of the image are displayed and/or printed. To print and/ordisplay an individual pixel, the location of the pixel in the image isfirst determined based upon its relative location in the image dataarray. For each pixel, the array element of the image data array isretrieved for mapping to the color palette. Thus, the color palettelocation information retrieved for that pixel maps to the color for thatparticular pixel. Accordingly, the color information for that pixel isretrieved. That is, since the array element of the image data arrayspecifies the color palette location value of a color in the colorpalette, the color information for that pixel is retrieved from thecolor information stored in the color palette for that particular pixel.

Often, a plurality of images, each having identical image data arrays,but with different coloring, are concurrently stored in the memory.Thus, a relatively large portion of memory may be required for imagedata management. Accordingly, there is a need in the industry to reducethe amount of image data so as to reduce memory requirements.

SUMMARY

Image data file systems and methods are operable to generate image datafiles for a plurality of images having a common image data array, andare operable to generate images from the image data files. An exemplaryembodiment stores a common image data array into a master image datafile, wherein the stored common image data array corresponds to an imagedata array of a first image of the plurality of images; and generates asoft link image data file based upon a second image of the plurality ofimages, wherein an image data array of the second image is the same asthe common image data array, and wherein a soft link in the soft linkimage data file identifies a location of the stored common image dataarray.

In accordance with further aspects, an exemplary embodiment retrieves asoft link image data file with a soft link, wherein the soft link imagedata file corresponds to an image of a plurality of images, wherein thesoft link identifies a location of a common image data array in a masterimage data file, and wherein each of the plurality of images are definedby a respective image data array that is substantially the same as thecommon image data array; retrieves the common image data array basedupon the location identified in the soft link; and generates an imagedata file for the image, wherein the generated image data file has animage data array based upon the common image data array retrieved fromthe master image data file.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative embodiments are described in detail below withreference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a soft link imagegenerator;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a file format of an exemplary master imagedata file; and

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronics device having anembodiment of the soft link image generator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a soft link imagegenerator 100. In this exemplary embodiment, the soft link imagegenerator 100 comprises a processor system 102, an image input/output(I/O) interface 104, and a memory 106. The processor system 102, theimage I/O interface 104, and the memory 106 are communicatively coupledto a communication bus 108, thereby providing connectivity between theabove-described components. In alternative embodiments of the soft linkimage generator 100, the above-described components may becommunicatively coupled to each other in a different manner. Forexample, one or more of the above-described components may be directlycoupled to the processor system 102, or may be coupled to the processorsystem 102 via intermediary components (not shown). Further, additionalcomponents (not shown) may be included in alternative embodiments of thesoft link image generator 100.

The soft link image generator 100 identifies, from a plurality of imagedata files associated with a plurality of images, a plurality of imagedata files that have the same image data array. These images arereferred to herein as common array images. Each of the plurality ofcommon array images uses an image data array that is substantially thesame, or common, among the plurality of identified common array images.Further, the header of each of the common array images is substantiallythe same, or common, among the plurality of identified common arrayimages.

Such common array images would differ from each other by havingdifferent color palettes. For images 110 a-110 n having a common imagedata array (CIDA) 112, the soft link image generator 100 builds a masterimage data file 114 for a selected one of the identified images 110a-110 n. Then, for the remaining images 110 a-110 n, the soft link imagegenerator 100 builds soft link image data files 116 that use a soft linkto point to or otherwise indicate the location of the common image dataarray 112 residing in the master image data file 114. Accordingly, thesoft link image data files 116 do not have their own image data arrayand are significantly smaller in size (require less memory storagecapacity) than their counter-part prior art image data files. That is,the soft link image data files 116 are smaller since they use the commonimage data array 112 stored as part of the master image data file 114.

Optionally, color pallet information for the remaining images 110 a-110n may be included in the master image data file 114. Alternatively, thecolor pallet information may be stored in the individual soft link imagedata files 116, or may be stored in another location identified by othersoft links or the like.

The image I/O interface 104 receives image information from a remotesource (not shown). The received image information corresponds to one ormore of the images 110 a-110 n that are processed by the soft link imagegenerator 100 into the master image data file 114 and the associatedsoft link image data files 116. For example, the image I/O interface 104may receive the image information from a remote memory, an image capturedevice such as a camera or the like, or another suitable device. Theimage information may be saved into the memory 106, and/or may bedirectly processed into the master image data file 114 and theassociated soft link image data files 116. The received imageinformation may be in any suitable format, such as a pixel-based imageformat or another, non pixel-based image format.

The memory 106 includes a region for the soft link image data generationlogic 118. In this exemplary embodiment, the soft link image datageneration logic 118, retrieved and executed by processor system 102,generates the master image data file 114 and the soft link image datafiles 116.

The memory 106 further includes a region for the image rendering logic120. The image rendering logic 120 receives image information andgenerates pixel-based image information for the images 110 a-110 n, ifnecessary, that are to be combined into the master image data file 114and the associated soft link image data files 116. Pixel-based imageinformation may be saved into the memory 106, and/or may be directlyprocessed into the master image data file 114 and the associated softlink image data files 116.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a file format of an exemplary master imagedata file 114. The exemplary master image data file 114 comprises a fileheader (HDR) 202, an image count (I COUNT) 204, map information (MAPINFO) 206, a master color palette (MSTR PAL) 208, the common image dataarray 112, a first soft link color palette (1^(st) SLP), through thei^(th) soft link color palette (i^(th) SLP). In alternative embodiments,the information in the master image data file 114 may have a differentorder, may omit some of the information, and/or may include otherinformation of interest.

The file header 202 includes various information pertaining to theselected one of the images 110 a-110 n used to build the master imagedata file 114. The header 202 may include information such as bitmapwidth in pixels (the number of pixels in a row of pixels), bitmap heightin pixels (the number of pixels in a column of pixels), and number ofbits used to define the color of a pixel. For example, if eight (8) bitsare used to specify the color of a pixel, then there are a possible 256different colors that may be used to define pixel color. Any suitablenumber of bits may be used to define the number of color choices for apixel (for example, if twelve bits are used, up to 4096 colors areavailable to define the color for a pixel).

The image count 204 indicates the number of images 110 a-110 n that themaster image data file 114 supports. The map information 206 is used bythe soft link image data generation logic 118 to determine which colorpalette to use for a given one of the images 110 a-110 n. A number isassociated with each file name for each of the images 110 a-110 n. Thisnumber is used to index into the mapping information to find out whatcolor palette would be used for a particular one of the images 110 a-110n that is being generated.

The common image data array 112 is a pre-defined, ordered array ofelements that define the images 110 a-110 n on a pixel-by-pixel basis.For any particular one of the images 110 a-110 n, the location of apixel can be identified by its relative location in the image data array112 since there are n×m pixels in the image data array (where n is thenumber of pixels in a row of pixels and m is the number of pixels in acolumn of pixels). Thus, the relative location of the pixel data in theimage data array 112 defines the location of the pixel in the images 110a-110 n.

The common image data array 112 is applicable to each one of the images110 a-110 n. That is, the common image data array 112 is the same foreach of the images 110 a-110 n.

The master color palette 208 defines pixel colors for the selected oneof the images 110 a-110 n that is used to generate the master image datafile 114. The 1^(st) soft link color palette 210 is a color palette thatdefines pixel colors for a second one of the images 110 a-110 n. Each ofthe images 110 a-110 n (except the image selected to generate the masterimage data file 114) has its own unique soft link color palette. Here,the i^(th) soft link color palette 210 is a color palette thatcorresponds to the n^(th) one of the images 110 a-110 n.

FIG. 2 graphically illustrates the relationship between a plurality ofimages 110 a, 110 b and 110 n and the master image data file 114. Eachof the images 110 a, 110 b and 110 n use the same image data array 112.The first image 110 a is selected as the base image that is used tobuild the master image data file 114. Selection of a particular imagefrom the plurality of images 110 a, 110 b and 110 n to be the masterimage may be arbitrary, or may be based upon any suitable selectioncriteria.

Thus, when the master image data file 114 is built by the soft linkimage generator 100, an exemplary process starts with the retrieval ofthe header 202 from the pixel-based image data file for the selectedimage 110 a. Any suitable information may be saved into the header 202.(It is appreciated that components of the master image data file 114 maybe generated in any desired order.)

Previously, the soft link image generator 100 has identified the images110 a-110 n (each having the same common image data array 112) from aplurality of images. The number of the images 110 a-110 n, here nimages, is determined. The optional image count 204 is set to thedetermined number of images (here the number n) that the master imagedata file 114 supports.

The map information 206 is used by the soft link image data generationlogic 118 to decide which color palette to use for a given one of theimages 110 a-110 n. Since the image data for each of the images 110a-110 n is available, information pertaining to their respective colorpalettes is available. This optional information is used to generate themap information 206.

Since all of the images 110 a-110 n use the same common image data array112, the common image data array 112 from the selected base image, hereimage 101 a, is retrieved and saved as the common image data array 112.When any of the images 110 a-110 n are generated for display and/orprinting, the common image data array 112 is used to render the desiredimage.

The remaining ones of the images 110 b-110 n (the images not selected asthe master image) each have a unique color palette that is differentfrom the base image (the one of the images 110 a used to generate themaster image data file 114). These color palettes are then retrievedfrom each of the image data files and saved, in this exemplaryembodiment, into the master image data file 114. Here, the color paletteinformation from the image data corresponding to the image 110 b isretrieved and saved into the master image data file 114 as the first(1^(st)) soft link color palette 210. It is appreciated that there islikely no significant difference between the color palette informationof the image data file for the image 102 b and the color paletteinformation saved into the first soft link color palette 210 portion ofthe master image data file 114.

Color palette image information for the remaining ones of the images aresimilarly processed. Thus, the color palette information from the imagedata corresponding to the last one of the images 110 n is retrieved andsaved into the master image data file 114 as the i^(th) soft link colorpalette 212.

After the master image data file 114 has been generated, the soft linkimage data files 116 are generated for the images 110 b-110 n. Each softlink image data file 116 is a special type of file that contains areference to the master image data file 114 in the form of an absoluteor relative path and that affects pathname resolution.

A soft link contains a text string that is interpreted and followed bythe operating system as a path to another file or directory. The softlink is a file on its own and can exist independently of its target,here selected portions of the master image data file 114. If a soft linkis deleted, its target remains unaffected. If the target is moved,renamed or deleted, any symbolic link that used to point to it continuesto exist but now points to a non-existing file. Here, each of the softlink image data files 116 identifies the master image data file 114 andwhich one of the soft link color pallets is associated with thatparticular image.

When one of the images 110 a-110 n is selected for display and/orprinting, the respective soft link image data file 116 for that image isaccessed by a program that is rendering the selected image for displayand/or printing. The rendering program then uses the header 202, thecommon image data array 112, and the associated soft link color palettefor the selected image retrieved from the master image data file 114 togenerate an image data file for the image. In an exemplary embodiment,the soft link image data generation logic 118 retrieves the header 202,the common image data array 112 and the appropriate color paletteinformation and assembles a pixel-based image data file.

After the master image data file 114 and the soft link image data files116 have been generated, the plurality of original image data files maybe deleted. Accordingly, the memory capacity used to store informationfor the plurality of images corresponding to the master image data file114 and the soft link image data files 116 is reduced since the totalsize of the combined master image data file 114 and soft link image datafiles 116 is less than the memory size required for all of the originalimage data files.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronics device 302 havingan embodiment of the soft link image generator 100. The soft link imagegenerator 100 embodied in the electronics device 302 generates selectedones of the images 110 a-110 n, using the master image data file 114 andthe soft link image data files 116. The generated images may bedisplayed, printed, and/or communicated to another device. Accordingly,the electronics device 302 may be communicatively coupled to a displaydevice and/or a printing device, or may itself be a display deviceand/or a printing device. Non-limiting examples of an electronics device302 include a set top box (STB), televisions (TVs), digital video disc(DVD) players, digital video recorders (DVRs), personal deviceassistants (PDAs), personal computers (PCs), or laptop computers.

This exemplary electronics device 302 embodied with the soft link imagegenerator 100 comprises a processor system 304, an image input interface306, a graphics device interface 308, and a memory 310. The memory 310includes portions for storing the soft link image generation logic 118,the master image data file 114, and one or more soft link image datafiles 116 a-116 i.

The processor system 304, the image input interface 306, the graphicsdevice interface 308, and the memory 310 are communicatively coupled toa communication bus 312, thereby providing connectivity between theabove-described components. In alternative embodiments of the soft linkimage generator 100, the above-described components may becommunicatively coupled to each other in a different manner. Forexample, one or more of the above-described components may be directlycoupled to the processor system 304, or may be coupled to the processorsystem 304 via intermediary components (not shown). Further, additionalcomponents (not shown) may be included in alternative embodiments of thesoft link image generator 100.

The image input interface 306 receives information corresponding to themaster image data file 114 and the soft link image data files 116 a-116i from a remote source (not shown). For example, the master image datafile 114 and the soft link image data files 116 a-116 i may be receivedfrom the embodiment of the soft link image generator 100 of FIG. 1.Alternatively, or additionally, the image input interface 306 mayreceive the master image data file 114 and the soft link image datafiles 116 a-116 i from a remote memory, an image capture device such asa camera or the like having a soft link image generator 100, or anothersuitable device. The received master image data file 114 and the softlink image data files 116 a-116 i may be saved into the memory 310,and/or may be directly processed into one or more of the images 110a-110 n.

The graphics device interface 308 communicatively couples theelectronics device 302 to another device, such as a media presentationdevice with a display, a printer, or another processor system. Thus,generated images can be communicated out from the electronics device302.

In this exemplary embodiment, the soft link image data generation logic118, retrieved and executed by processor system 102, generates selectedones of the images 110 a-110 n from the master image data file 114and/or the soft link image data files 116. If the exemplary image 110 a,which was used to generate the master image data file 114, is to begenerated, the soft link image generation logic 118 executes a suitablerendering algorithm or the like using the master image data file 114.Thus, the file header (HDR) 202, the master color palette (MSTR PAL)208, and the common image data array 112 are retrieved such that theimage 110 a is generated.

In this exemplary embodiment, the soft link image data generation logic118 generates selected ones of the images 110 b-110 n from the masterimage data file 114 and the corresponding one of the soft link imagedata files 116 a-116 i. Indexes, pointer values, or the like, correspondto start and end locations of the memory media where the file header(HDR) 202, the image count (I COUNT) 204, the map information (MAP INFO)206, the master color palette (MSTR PAL) 208, the common image dataarray 112, and the first soft link color palette (1^(st) SLP) throughthe i^(th) soft link color palette (i^(th) SLP) reside in the memory310. These media locations are referred to as a “start index” and an“end index” herein.

If one of the other ones of the images 110 b-110 n (the images notselected as the master image used to generate the master image data file114), the soft link image generation logic 118 executes a suitablerendering algorithm or the like using the soft link image data files 116that corresponds to the selected image. For example, if the image 110 bcorresponding to the 1^(st) soft link image data file 116 a is to begenerated for printing, then a soft link in the 1^(st) soft link imagedata file 116 a points to, or otherwise indicates where in the memorymedia, the file header (HDR) 202, the ^(st) color palette 212, and thecommon image data array 112 can be found. The soft link image generationlogic 118 then uses the three files to generate the image 110 b.

In alternative embodiments, the color palette information for aparticular image may be saved in the soft link image data files 116a-116 i. Here, when the image is generated, the soft link need onlyprovide direction to the common image data array 112. Alternatively, oradditionally, the header 202 and/or other information of interest may bestored in the soft link image data files 116 a-116 i. In suchembodiments, the generated master image data file 114 and associatedsoft link image data files 116 a-116 i still result in significantsaving in memory medium capacity since the common image data array 112of the images 110 a-110 n is the largest portion of the image data.

Since the exemplary soft link image generator 100 illustrated in FIG. 3is operable to generate images from the master image data file 114and/or the associated soft link image data files 116, this embodimentmay optionally exclude the functionality of identifying, from aplurality of images, those images that have the same image data array,building the master image data file 114 for a selected one of theidentified images 110 a-110 n, and then for the remaining images 110a-110 n, building soft link image data files 116. Similarly, theexemplary soft link image generator 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 mayoptionally exclude the functionality of generating images from themaster image data file 114 and the associated soft link image data files116 for display and/or printing.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the softlink image generator 100 are merely possible examples of implementationsof the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to theabove-described embodiments. All such modifications and variations areintended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure andprotected by the following claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A method for generatingimage data for a plurality of images, the method comprising: selecting afirst image of the plurality of images, wherein each of the plurality ofimages include an image data file and a color palette, wherein the imagedata files of the plurality of images are the same, and wherein thecolor palette of each of the plurality of images are different; storingin a memory an image data array of the first image into a master imagedata file as a common image data array, wherein the common image dataarray is identified by at least a start location in the memory; storingthe color palette of the first image into the master image data file;storing the color palette of a second image of the plurality of imagesinto the master image data file; and generating a soft link image datafile based upon a second image of the plurality of images, wherein animage data array of the second image is the same as the common imagedata array, and wherein a soft link in the soft link image data fileidentifies the start location of the stored common image data array inthe memory and identifies the color palette of the second image storedin the master image data file.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: storing a header into the master image data file, the storedheader corresponding to a header of the first image.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: identifying the plurality of images from alarger plurality of images, wherein other images of the larger pluralityof images have respective image data arrays that are different from thecommon image data array; selecting each one of the identified images;storing the color palette of the identified images of the plurality ofimages into the master image data file; and generating a unique softlink image data file for each one of the identified images, wherein theimage data arrays of the identified images are the same as the commonimage data array, and wherein the soft link in the soft link image datafiles identify the start location of the stored common image data arrayin the memory and identifies the color palette of the identified imagesstored in the master image data file.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: generating a plurality of soft link image data files basedupon remaining ones of the plurality of images having the common imagedata array, wherein each of the plurality of soft link image data fileshas a unique soft link pointing to the common image data array of themaster image data file, and wherein each of the remaining ones of theplurality of images has a unique color palette.
 5. The method of claim4, further comprising: storing map information into the master imagedata file, wherein the map information associates each of the pluralityof unique color palettes with the corresponding ones of the plurality ofimages.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing an imagecount into the master image data file, wherein the image countcorresponds to a number of the plurality of images.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: communicating the master image data fileand the soft link image data file to a remote device.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of images is defined bypixel-based image data.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving image information for at least one of the plurality of imageshaving the common image data array; and generating pixel-based imagedata from the received image information, wherein the pixel-based imagedata comprises a generated image data array that corresponds to thecommon image data array.
 10. An image data generating system,comprising: a memory configured to store a plurality of image data filescorresponding to a plurality of images, configured to store at least onemaster image data file with at least a common image data array, andconfigured to store at least one soft link image data file; and aprocessor system communicatively coupled to the memory, and operable to:identify from the plurality of stored image data files a plurality ofcommon array images, wherein each of the plurality of common arrayimages have substantially the same image data array, and wherein each ofthe plurality of common array images have different color palettes;select a first image data file associated with a first one of theplurality of identified common array images; generate the master imagedata file, wherein the master image data file includes the common imagedata array that is generated from the image data array of the selectedfirst image data file, and wherein the master image data file includesthe different color palettes of the plurality of common array images;store the generated master image data file in the memory; select asecond image data file associated with a second one of the plurality ofidentified common array images; generate soft link image data files foreach of the remaining ones of the plurality of common array images,wherein the soft link image data files include a soft link thatidentifies a memory location of the stored common image data array, andidentifies the respective color palette in the master image data file;and store the first soft link image data file in the memory.
 11. Theimage data generating system of claim 10, wherein the processor isfurther operable to: store the color palette for the first one of theplurality of identified common array images in the master image datafile as a first color palette; and store the color palette for thesecond one of the plurality of identified common array images in themaster image data file as a second color palette, wherein the soft linkimage data file for the first one of the plurality of identified commonarray images identifies the first color palette stored in the masterimage data file, and wherein the soft link image data file for thesecond one of the plurality of identified common array images identifiesthe second color palette stored in the master image data file.
 12. Theimage data generating system of claim 10, wherein the processor isfurther operable to: store a header in the master image data file,wherein the header corresponds to headers of the plurality of identifiedcommon array images.
 13. A method for generating image data, the methodcomprising: retrieving a soft link image data file with a soft link,wherein the soft link image data file corresponds to a first image of aplurality of images, wherein the soft link identifies a location of amaster image data file, and wherein each of the plurality of images aredefined by a respective image data array that is substantially the samefor each of the plurality of images, and wherein the soft linkidentifies a first color palette of a plurality of color palettesresiding in the master image data file; retrieving the master image datafile based upon the location identified in the soft link; and generatingan image data file for the image, wherein the generated image data filehas an image data array generated using a common image data array andthe first color palette retrieved from the master image data file. 14.The method of claim 13, wherein the common image data array is basedupon the image data array of a base image selected from the plurality ofimages.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generated image datafile is a first image data file associated with a first color palette inthe master image data file, and further comprising: generating a secondimage data file for the base image, wherein the generated second imagedata file is generated using the common image data array and anassociated second color palette retrieved from the master image datafile.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein a header is stored in themaster image data file, and wherein generating the image data file forthe first image comprises: retrieving the header from the master imagedata file.
 17. An image data generating system, comprising: a memoryconfigured to store: at least one master image data file with at least acommon image data array generated from a first image data array of afirst image, a base color palette corresponding to a color palette ofthe first image, and a plurality of different color palettes of aplurality of images that each have the same image data array as thefirst image data array of the first image; a soft link image data filebased upon a second image selected from the plurality of images thateach have the same image data array, wherein the stored common imagedata array corresponds to a second image data array of the second image,wherein a soft link in the soft link image data file identifies alocation in the memory of the stored master image data file, and whereinthe soft link image data file identifies one of the color palettesstored in the master image data file that is associated with the secondimage; and a processor system communicatively coupled to the memory, andoperable to: generate a first image data file corresponding to the firstimage, wherein the first image data file comprises a first image dataarray generated from a common image data array stored in the masterimage data file, and wherein the first image data file is generatedusing the base color palette stored in the master image data file; andgenerate a second image data file corresponding to the second imagebased on the soft link that identifies the master image data file,wherein the second image data file comprises a second image data arraygenerated from the common image data array stored in the master imagedata file, wherein the soft link of the soft link image data fileidentifies a location of the common master image data file in thememory, and wherein the soft link image data file identifies the colorpalette stored in the master image data file that is associated with thesecond image.
 18. The image data generating system of claim 17, whereinthe master image data file comprises a header, and wherein the header isretrieved from the master image data file to generate the first imagedata file, and wherein the header is retrieved from the master imagedata file to generate the second image data file.
 19. The image datagenerating system of claim 17, further comprising: an interfacecommunicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the master image datafile and the soft link image data file are communicated to and stored ina remote memory.